Improvement in valve- lubricators



U NITEE STATES PATENT QEEIGE.

JAMES oocHEANE, or NEw YoEK,N. Y.

lMPROVEMENTlN VALVE LUBRICATORS." v

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that LJAMEs CocERAnE, ofA the city, county, and State of New York,have invented certain Improvements in Devices for Valve-Lubrication, of which the following is a specification:

Nature centZObjects of the Invention.

The object of my invention is to lessen the amount of friction of slide-valves, (flat or curved,) and thereby save a large percentage of the power, considerablydiminish the present wear of the surfaces of the valve and valveseat, and, as a consequence, save the time, labor, and expense'of refacing and repairingthem so frequentlyr as is at present found necessary. It is estimated that a result will be realized from the use of this device equivalent to five per cent. over the most advantageous results vformerly attainable. rlhe means by which my invention proposesto secure this object is by -injecting through suitable conduits and perforations a lubricating fluid between the surface of the valve and valve-seat, by me s of any ordinary inj ector or pump operated by any suitable and convenientpower,thevalve and valveseat having cavities, channels, or grooves, Soc., at suitable intervals for the purpose of spreading, retaining, and forming a passage for the lubricatin g material. The lubricating liuid may thus be placed undenhydraulic pressure, and, by a device hereinafter described, the degree kof pressure may be regulated to balance the valve; also, as will be described further on, the iuid maybe merely injected'between the surfaces of the valve and valveseat or caused to circulate, as desirable; and the perforations, grooves, 8vo., may be cleansed of all extraneous matter at pleasure, evenwith the valve in operation.

In the following description and the accompanyin g drawin gI have used the common threeport steam-valve for the purpose of illustrating the application of my invention. I do not mean, however,A to confine my` invention to that particular kind of valve, but ,extend it to slidevalves generally. Y

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure l is a plan, showing theinjector or pump, conduits, and valve-seat, the valve and steam or valve chest being removed. Fig. 2

is a plan of valve-face with rod attached. Fig. -3 is a side view of the valve with rod attached.

v Section lis a transverse section of Fig. 1 at the point marked Sec. 1J Sec. 2 is a transverse 'section of Fig. l at the point marked bec.2. Sec. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 2 at the point marked See 3.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures and sections.

` General Description.

A is the valve-seat. B is thevalve. Gis the concavity of thevalve. D and F are the steam-ports. E is the ezhaust-port. G is the valve-rod, and in this case also the pump-piston or plunger. II are conduits passing from the pump K to the side of the valve-seat. J J are conduits passing from the side of the valveseat to the reservoir L. M is an air-globe for the purpose of equalizing the pressure of the lubricating fluid, and may be dispensed with. N N are common stop-cocks or valves, as hereinafter described. K K K are chambers of the injector or pump. L is a reservoir for holding the lubricating iluid. a a are perforations through the valve-seat receiving the lubricat-I ing iiuid from the conduits I I and discharging it between the faces of the 'valve and valveseat. b b are also perforations through the valve-seat, running c c are grooves or channels in the face of the valve. dddd, Snc., are cavities in the faces of the valve and valve-seat.

The-reservoir L having been supplied with lubricating fluid, the pump-piston` or 4plunger G, (in this case represented alsoas the valverod,) by its vibratory motion, alternately draws the fluid from the reservoir and forces it through the conduits I I intothe perforations a a of the valve seat, the ordinary pump check-valves, located above and below the piston-chamber acting to prevent the return'of the iiuid throu gli their respective passages at 'the next stroke of the piston. The globeM equalizes the pressure by permitting theiluid to play upon a body of air within it.

This part of the device may be varied or sup plied by any other form of injector or pump vthat convenience and advantage may suggest; also thepower to operate thepump maybe received, as shown above, from the motion of the engine or fromv any other convenient source, as, for exfrom its face to its side.`

'the conduits and steam chest or ports.

'lated and the Asurplus ample, it might befound advantageous to injectthelubricating material by means of ahandpump. Moreover, the pumping may be made continuous -or at intervals, as desirable.

The lubricating iiuid having been injected through the perforations ,al a, is received into the grooves or channels c o, and thence, by the movement of the valve, spread over the faces of the valve and valve-seat and into the various cavities and perforations. Sufficient pressure may be made to cause the valve to rise from its seat and ride upon a film of the lubricating material. Where it is found to be more advantageous and practical the perforations a a re-y ceiving the iluid may bemultiplied and made to pass to various points on the face of the valve-seat, provided their orifices b e not uncovered by the movementfof thefvalve, as in that case there would be a loss of the lubricating material. cavities d d d d, 85e., be so located that at no time will there be a communication between Thel cocks N N being open, the lubricating fluid' will pass from the grooves or channels through the 'perforations b b and be discharged by the conduits J J into the reservoirL and-again bej circulated over the same course'. At the same.'

time anyextraneous matter will be carried from: the perforations and grooves and'deposited ini the bottom of the reservoir L 5 or cocks openingexternally may be inserted between N N and the valve-seat. Then by turning shut N N and opening the other cocks the pressure will cause the extraneous matter to be ejected.

By varying'the size of the passages of the cocks N N, by turning their handles toward shut or open, the hydraulic pressure of the lubricatin g fluid between the valve and valveseat'may be increased or diminished. By substitutin g valves similar to the safety-valves of a steam-boiler in-'the place of the cocks N N and weighting their lever-arms to the desired pressure, the degree of pressure may be-regu of .pressure will be re;- lieved by discharging a quantity of the lubrieating Iiuid beyond the valves, this` passin g to the reservoir L, Vas before.

I As it may be de; sirable to connect or disconnect theY circulating conduits J J at pleasure, this may be doneby lturnin g on or olf the cocks N N.

It is proposed falso yto dispense entirely with the conduits J J and merely terminate the perforations b b with Care should also be taken that the`A plugs or cocks. Then, by removing the plug or opening the cock the extraneous matter may be ejected as before.

One of the main features of this invention is the provision for cleaning the passages, &c., of the valve and valve-seat of all extraneous matter, and doing this, if required, when the valve is in operation. However, to secure this, the length of the channels or grooves c c and the distance between the perforations a and b should be so regulated as to admit of communication between the perforations a and b at all points in the movement of the valve. Another novel feature of my invention is the combination ot' the pump or injector with the perforations in the valve-seat, thus admitting ot' forming ahydraulic pressure ofthelubricatingfluid and therebybalancing and lubricating the valve. A third novel feature is a combination A of the two previous features with the circulating conduits J J, thereby admitting of circulating the lubricating iuid under the valve. A fourth novel 'feature is the combination ot' the cocks orY safety-valves N N with the 'foregoing features for thepurpose of regulating the pressure of the 'lubricating fluid.

r y Claims. l I `claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 'ent-A The combination of an injector or pump with the perforations a a, substantially as and for the purposes as hereinbefore set forth. y

2. The combination of an injector or pump and perforations a a withthe grooves or channels c c and the perforations b b terminating-in a plug or 'stop-cock, substantially as and for the purposes as hereinbefore set forth.

3. Thg combination of an injectoror pump and perforations, a a, and grooves or channels c c and perforations b b with the conduits J J,

substantially, as and for the purposes as here- -'inbefore set forth.

4. The combination of an injectoror pump and perforations, a a, and grooves or channels c cand perforations'b b, and conduits J J with the cocks Vor safety-valves N'N, substantially as and for the purposes as hereinbefore set forth. f Y 1 JAMES COCHRANE. f Witnesses: f

:JoNEs CooHRANE,

A. SPRINGSTEEN. 

